I'm buying a puppy from a family and wanted to see if I'm doing things right.

The family has couple GSDs. Two of the females just had litters (same father). The father is a German GSD breed (heidelberg) and the mom whose litter I've chosen is also a German GSD breed. Both parents have their AKC registration and papers.

I've also made it a condition that the parents need to get OFA certified if Im going to get the puppy.

The puppies are two weeks old now (im getting a male puppy) and I plan to pick him up in 4 weeks (so he will be 6 weeks old).

I guess the main issue the guy has with 6 weeks is that he doesn't want to pay for their shots at 6 weeks. I can tell him that I'll pay for those and want the puppies to stay with their mom until 8 weeks.

Why do you say 8 weeks anyways?

Why should the parents be OFA certified before the litter? Is it not good enough if they get OFA certified now (few weeks after the litter has been born)?

A big thing about ofa results is that it shows the breeder gived a darn. Even ofa excellent parents can put out dogs with hip displaysia so its not any kind of guarantee. It sounds like your potential breeder stinks from what youve said about shots.

I guess the main issue the guy has with 6 weeks is that he doesn't want to pay for their shots at 6 weeks. I can tell him that I'll pay for those and want the puppies to stay with their mom until 8 weeks.

Why do you say 8 weeks anyways?

Why should the parents be OFA certified before the litter? Is it not good enough if they get OFA certified now (few weeks after the litter has been born)?

It means the breeder isn't what most around here would consider an "ethical" breeder. Sounds very much like a backyard breeder, throwing some dogs together because they are purebred and AKC registerable (real word?). Most here would never support going to this breeder, given the information you've provided so far (not OFA'd, doesn't want to pay for the 6 week shots so sending the pups home early...etc..) Just sounds like an outfit most wouldn't support. On top of which you are setting yourself up for potential health and temperament problems by supporting a breeder who does no testing for either thing at all, rather than going to a breeder that temperament tests and health tests their stock (through sport, real world work, OFA hips and elbows, cardiac, DM, etc...). By selecting a breeder that does all these things with their stock you are stacking the odds in your favor for temperament and health.

The advice you are going to get is probably going to be a resounding, "keep looking." There are some great threads around here on "how to pick a breeder." Good luck.

I agree with all of the above, breeders who want to get rid of their puppies at 6 weeks tells me, 1. they don't want to clean up the mess puppies start making at that age, 2. they don't want to pay anything for vet visit/shots, but WILL collect your money for the price of a puppy.

No OFA? Health testing? Tells me again, they aren't willing to put the effort forth to see whether these dogs have HD, ED, or anything else. Irresponsible.

OFA takes time...I did x-rays on April 16th and still don't have the results back. Just yesterday I saw my credit card was run for the fee. So if the puppies are 2 weeks old, it would take them around a month if they're not dragging their feet to get the x-ray done, sent in to the OFA Institute, and get the results back.

I'm assuming right now they're just seeing if they can find other customers that aren't making any demands of them and will just sell to those instead of spending $400+ to get both dog's hips checked in the next month. I also don't know if the dam can really leave the puppies right now anyways.

So gsdsar just meant that you can easily hold off giving them money until the puppies are 8 weeks old, if at that point the parents don't have their hips checked, pass on the litter.

If the parents are not already OFA , then I would pass. It should have been done well before either were bred. If it was not, then I would walk away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakodaCD OA

I agree with all of the above, breeders who want to get rid of their puppies at 6 weeks tells me, 1. they don't want to clean up the mess puppies start making at that age, 2. they don't want to pay anything for vet visit/shots, but WILL collect your money for the price of a puppy.

No OFA? Health testing? Tells me again, they aren't willing to put the effort forth to see whether these dogs have HD, ED, or anything else. Irresponsible.

Puppies don't need shots at 6 weeks....that breeder needs to research vaccine protocols among other things. I'd pass based on the whole description you've shared.

Sad that people are failing this breed/ignorance is NO excuse.

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Kacie To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 7.21.05-5.01.15

If he can't afford shots (when appropriate), how would he afford OFAs? I would not want the dam taken away from the litter and at a vet's office (where she will be exposed to all kinds of crap and then carry that back to the puppies) to have OFA x-rays done. Then it's going to take 2+ weeks for OFA to issue the certificate.

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